Isaiah 48:18-22 – Blessing and Freedom
What are some of these promised things in these verses for the people of God? We see here peace like a river. When we are justified by faith, we have that peace with God (Romans 5.1). This peace is bought for us, bought at the price of Christ’s broken body and shed blood. Then we see the promise here of righteousness, like the waves of the sea. If one is righteous before the law, one is innocent. The opposite of this is being guilty. Jesus, by His perfect life on our account, has given us His righteousness, and at the cross died for our guilt. The waves and the depths of Christ’s righteousness overwhelms the mountain of guilt that you or I may have piled up when we come to Him, confessing our sins, and seeking His forgiveness. For those who are not truly the people of God, who may claim to be Christians, but have no saving knowledge of Christ, these promises are not for them.
God does bring deliverance. And here is the promise that God would deliver the people some 200 years later from Babylon. Here is the call for them to flee from the land of their affliction, their land of their exile, and flee to Him, to true freedom in Him, as we see in verses 20 through 22. Babylon is also a type of this world. 200 years from when these verses were written, it would be that Babylon would no longer be able to hold the people of God. In the same manner as with the coming of Jesus Christ, the world can no longer hold the people of God captive. The gates of Hell cannot stand up against Jesus Christ, against His Church. It’s high time to flee, to flee from bondage and flee to freedom in Jesus. God’s people must yet be fleeing from that which keeps them from Christ and His Word. What is the freedom that we are given? What is the freedom to which we are delivered in order to go forth to proclaim to the end of the earth? For believers, there is freedom from sin and wickedness, and freedom to live in joy and in peace, in contentment, in Christ. But the chapter ends with a warning to hypocrites — these blessings, this freedom is not for them. They’re the enemies of Christ and shall receive the justice that their wickedness demands.
Questions
- What blessings are promised here?
- What should we flee from?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would tell others of the freedom in Christ.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.